1. Nightstar99

    Nightstar99 Senior Member

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    Scrivener keeps losing my work

    Discussion in 'Writing Software and Hardware' started by Nightstar99, Dec 29, 2014.

    The first folder I have in my current project has one text 'scene' in it.

    This is rendered as the blue folder icon, then below that there is the white icon of a piece of lined paper.

    The other day I noticed the white piece off paper icon had disappeared and was replaced by second blue folder icon with a tiny white piece of lined paper icon in the bottom right hand corner. Of the content of the file there was no sign and I had to restore the scene from a backup.

    Its just done it again and I have had a heart in mouth moment as my backups werent working.

    I'm not feeling like I can trust Scrivener now. Anyone know what is going on?
     
  2. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    You are (somehow) turning your page into a folder. That's why the folder has that tiny page icon within it. Scrivener allows for this. You can turn pretty much anything into a folder in Scrivener. What I don't know is if the program is doing it of its own accord or if you are unwittingly selecting the option. Are you on a Mac or a PC?
     
  3. Nightstar99

    Nightstar99 Senior Member

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    I'm on a pc. The last time it did it I made sure that I deleted the page turned into a folder and replaced it with a new page copy and pasted from my backup. Then I saved it several times to make sure and shut it down.

    I opened it again just now and the same thing had happened again. All the text from the scene is lost and just this new empty folder is there in the hierarchy. All the other folders and scenes are fine. So far.
     
  4. Nightstar99

    Nightstar99 Senior Member

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    Thanks for replying btw.
     
  5. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    Check the folder where Scrivener stores files. It may well be there, and for whatever reason Scrivener isn't seeing it.
     
  6. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    I thought I lost files once because I accidentally kept hitting trash instead of 'add' which was right next to it. Then looking in my computer's trash the files weren't there. I moved the trash to the other side of the menu bar. And eventually I noticed there was a trash file at the end of my WIP and there were my lost files.

    Sometimes I hate learning new software. :(

    I had trouble learning new chapters vs new scenes. I don't like the way it is set up. But you should be able to click on the blue folder and the file should expand showing your 'scenes'.

    Also it you click on "manuscript" the whole project should open in a single file.
     
  7. Nightstar99

    Nightstar99 Senior Member

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    Wreybies post is spot on. It turned it into a folder and lost all the text, but I am not sure why. I have sent an email to their tech support.
     
  8. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    I still don't see why the text would be deleted. Makes no sense. If I click on my blue folders all the scenes within open up in a single file. Also, if I write directly into a blue folder without scenes, it works fine.
     
  9. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    OK, I just did a test file. I was on a scene and under 'project' hit new folder. I got the new folder just below the scene. So the folder was blank, but the old scene was still there above it, just needing to be opened.
     
  10. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    The text is still there, just not immediately viewable as a folder. I'm on Mac, so it may vary just a bit, but here are my screens:

    This is the page called Akhmaha:

    [​IMG]

    I can turn it into a folder:

    [​IMG]

    And when I do, all I get is cork-board in my screen-view:

    [​IMG]

    But if you just right-click the folder, you can revert it to a file and the text comes right back. You may have to click off of it and back on to it to refresh the screen-view, but the text will pop right back into sight.

    [​IMG]

    Now, I've never had any of these things happen in a project without me purposefully choosing the option. I've never had a file just turn itself into a folder of its own accord.
     
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  11. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    If you make a file into a folder (purposefully), you can view the text of the file buy clicking the option indicated by the red arrow. I'm not sure if this is located in the same place on the PC version of Scrivener. Notice that the file, Akhmaha, is still in "folder" mode and now the text is there.

    [​IMG]
     
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  12. Nightstar99

    Nightstar99 Senior Member

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    Brilliant thank you so much for that. If it does it again I will know what to do in future. I really had no idea!
     

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